All posts filed under: yard maintenance

5 Reasons to Mulch Your Garden This Spring

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5 Reasons to Mulch Your Garden, the Next Step to Protecting Your Investment: After you finish planting this spring, be sure to mulch everything with 3 inches of shredded bark mulch.  So you ask, “Why mulch?”  Here’s why: Mulching reduces erosion. Don’t let the wind or rain blow or wash away all the lovely top soil you just spent your hard earned dollars on to make your garden grow! Mulching reduces plant disease. Mulching reduces the amount of watering you will have to do. Mulching reduces weed populations. Mulch looks a heck of a lot nicer than bare soil, and is much easier to work with if you want to rearrange plants later on. Mulch prevents soil from splattering up on your siding during a hard rain. Find out if your city has a compost facility. You can usually get great deals on mulch and compost. In Davenport, Iowa, we can get a truckload of shredded bark mulch for $30! Lots cheaper than spending $3 to $4 per bag, eh? Compost only costs us about …

When is the Best Time to Put Down Crab Grass Preventer?

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According to my horticulturist husband, the answer is…..”When the Forsythias are in bloom!” What is a Forsythia Bush? Phenology is the study of recurring events in the life cycle of different species and learning how such events are interrelated throughout that species and other species. Forsythias reach full bloom when soil temps get up to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Coincidentally, Crab Grass seeds also germinate when the soil temps are at 55degrees Fahrenheit! Therefore, those yellow flowers blooming on forsythia bushes as a phenological symbol, or nature signal, telling you, “Hey! It’s time to throw down some Crab Grass preventer!” The above link is an affiliate link. Gardenshapers earns a commission on all purchases made from clicking this link. Thanks for supporting our site!

How to dry sage from your garden.

How to Make a Dried Herb Bouquet Using Sage from Your Garden: Part II.

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Ever wonder how to dry herbs from your garden? Learn how to bundle herb bouquets and dry them for later use in the kitchen this winter!

2 Best Organic Fertilizers to Get a Greener Lawn

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Here’s another free gardening tip for the month of April or in the fall!   Want to have the greenest lawn on the block?  Here’s how:  Find a pickup truck. Find your local compost facility Order up a truckload of compost Haul it back home and spread it evenly over your yard, about a 1/2 inch thick layer over the lawn. Rake it in. Enjoy all the compliments you’ll be getting over the next few weeks as your neighbors oo and ahhh over how lush your grass looks! This is great to do once a year or every couple of years. Why does it work?  It supplements your lawn with much needed organic matter and nutrients. WARNING:  You might have to mow a lot more often! If you’d rather not deal with the compost method, milorganite is a natural alternative.  Milorganite releases nitrogen slowly to your lawn and ornamentals in a form readily available to plants.  There is no need to water it in either! What is Milorganite? Purchase a bag of pelletized milorganite from …